Envelope for dishes



s. c. PEARSON- ENVELOPE FOR DISHES Filed June 1, 1936 Jung 15, 1937.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I INVENTOR Susan C [are Pearson 1 15, 1937. s, C, PEARS N 2,083,741

Filed June 1, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 15, I937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE The present invention relates to envelopes for dishes, especially sanitary coverings for any hollow vessel of whatever shape, size or nature, used for the serving of food at meals or as a sanitary covering for hospital equipment. This envelope is especially adaptable for use on dishes which are in daily and popular use in homes, restaurants, soda fountains and the like, where it is necessary for the same dish to be repeatedly used by different persons, and much labor is required to keep the same in a sanitary condition.

I am aware that various and sundry sanitary dish liners have been devised, but, as a general rule, they are objectionable for the reason that the liner does not cover the bottom of the plate, bowl, cup, saucer, etc., and there is no means for preventing the food stuff from soiling the dish.

In my invention the envelope substantially covers the whole dish, and by reason of the fact that its central portion is preformed to fit the concavity of the dish, there will be a substantial union between the dish and envelope so that there I is no relative movement therebetween while being used as a sanitary covering.

The pleated folded-over portion which is integral with the preformed portion serves an important purpose aside from covering the bottom of the dish and holding the preformed portion to the dish, for when put in reverse position, that is, turned inside out, it pleats over the top of the preformed portion enclosing the food which is to be discarded, thereby making a sanitary packageto be put in the garbage can, eliminating entirely the soiling of the can.

A further object of this invention is to provide a means for eliminating the inconvenience of dish washing. With my service method, each dish may be enclosed within a transparent film envelope which in no way detracts from the beauty of the dish as the design can be clearly seen through the film, when the film is a cellulose substance such as Cellophane" or the like. I do not wish to limit myself to the use of transparent film as any translucent or even opaque material may be used. After the meal is served, the pleated portion is turned. inside out, thereby enclosing the left-over portion on the plate within the preformed concavity and the package is deposited in a garbage can in a sanitary manner 'even relieving the necessity of having to wash the can.

The foregoing and other features of my invention will now be described in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification in which I have represented my envelope for dishes in its preferred form after which I shall point out more particularly in the claims those features which I believe to be new and of my own invention. In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a dish enveloped in my transparent cover.

Figure 2 is a cross-section along the line 2-2, Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a bottom view of a dish enveloped in my cover showing the pleat formation.

', Figures 4, 5, 6 and '7 illustrate the invention as applied to a cup.

Figure 8 shows the envelope used for a dish when the preformed material is pleated to fit the concavity of the dish.

Figure 9 shows. a section of my envelope extended to be put over a dish.

In carrying out my invention I prefer to use a cellulose material such as Cellophane or its equivalent and preform the central portion Ill to conform to the concavity of the dish it is intended to cover, said preformed portion being provided with a pleated annulus ll so pleated that when placed in position over the dish, the envelope will snugly fit over and substantially cover the bottom thereof as shown in Figure 2 and may be reversed to assume the position indicated by the dotted lines l2 to enclose that portion of the meal which was served on the plate and not used, forming a sanitary package to convey the food to the garbage can, thus keeping the can in a sanitary condition.

It will be perfectly evident that my invention may be applied to any shape dish. When the dish assumes theform of a cup, tureen or other vessel provided with a handle or the like, provision is made to exclude the handle by forming an opening I3 in the pleated annulus H as illustrated specifically in Figures 4, 6 and '7.

I wish it distinctly understood that my envelope for dishes herein described and illustrated is in the form in which I desire to construct it and that changes or variations may be made as may be convenient or desirable without departing from the salient features of my invention and I therefore intend the following claims to cover such modifications as naturally fall within the lines of invention.

I claim:

1. A new article of manufacture comprising an envelope for a dish having a central portion preformed to substantially fit the concavity of the dish and provided with a pleated projection adapted to closely hug the underside of the dish and'adapted to be used inits reverse position to cover the preformed portion.

2. A new article of manufacture comprising an envelope for a dish made of a transparent film having a central portion preformed to the concavity of the dish and provided with an integral projection adapted to be pleated under andcovering the bottom of the dish. 

